Jessica Harpur

Darwin NT

Bachelor of Arts/Diploma in Modern Languages 2019

A Bit About Me

My name is Jessica Harpur. I was born in 1996 in Darwin, NT and I’ve lived here my whole life. I have two sisters, and one brother. I love dinosaurs, cats, music, food, languages, reading, learning, video games, the saxophone, and going to the gym. I’ve always excelled at school, but I never knew what I wanted to be. It wasn’t until the end of high school that I figured out that I wanted to be a LOTE teacher. My local university didn’t offer what I wanted to study, and I didn’t want to move interstate since all of my family is here, so I had to find somewhere to study online and that’s when I came across UNE.

UNE offered everything that I wanted to study, and it was rated very highly for online education, so it was a no-brainer for me. I graduated from UNE in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Spanish and Italian, and a Diploma in Modern Languages majoring in German, and I am about to embark on a Master of Teaching at my local university: Charles Darwin University (CDU). I’ve been working at Kmart for almost eight years now while I study, and I’m very excited to be nearing the end of my tertiary education experience and to get out into the world.

On campus study or online study? How was your experience studying either on campus or online?

I studied online and my experience was fantastic. It was so flexible, the online learning platforms were easy to use, the online lectures were enjoyable, there was a real sense of community in every class (I even became an old-fashioned pen pal with a girl from one of my classes; a friendship for life), and the work was interesting and challenging. The student support services at the university were also wonderful. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

How did you find your UNE lecturers/professors?

They were absolutely exceptional. They were so friendly, open, knowledgeable, and engaging. They gave great feedback on my work, they knew how to give proper, targeted answers to our questions, they got us to think outside the box, and they were always present on the forums. Several lecturers also created the study materials themselves instead of requiring a textbook, and the materials were very thorough, well-made, and easy to use. I was always motivated and inspired by the lecturers, and I always felt supported. I learned a lot.

What was your end goal when you started your degree?

My end goal was to become a LOTE teacher and so far, everything has gone to plan. I learned the languages at UNE, and I am starting my Master of Teaching at CDU in March 2020. In two years, I will be a qualified teacher and I’ll be out there working in my dream job.

How are you using what you learned in your degree in your professional life?

I haven’t begun my professional life yet, but of course, I’ll be using everything I learned at UNE during my future job. In the meantime, I keep what I learned sharp by conversing with and learning from native speakers, and also casually helping other learners on several language-learning forums and websites. In addition, I also make use of the writing and organisational skills that I honed while studying at UNE.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

I hope to have a long, fulfilling career in education, teaching languages in a high school or a university setting, and perhaps even tutoring others outside of school too. Languages and teaching are my passion, and I’m excited by the idea that I get to do something I love for the rest of my life.

What does living in the NT mean to you?

Living in the NT means community and family. I live in Darwin, and we’re not the smallest city out there but we’re still a pretty small place. We only have around 140,000 people here, but as a community we are quite strong. You get to know a lot of people, and we always have events and activities going on so people can come together. My family is also here. My whole life is here. It’s a very special place for me. We may not have all the things that places like Melbourne or Sydney might have, but we have our beautiful beaches, nature parks, wildlife, green streets, open spaces, lovely people, and beautiful atmosphere. We have more than enough to get us through, and we grow every day. I’m delighted that I can stay here in my small town and still follow my dreams.